Baccalaureate Degrees
THE BACCALAUREATE EXPERIENCE: THE CORE CURRICULUM
Undergraduate baccalaureate study at the University of Alaska Fairbanks is characterized by a common set of learning experiences known as the Core Curriculum. The core provides students with a shared foundation of skills and knowledge that, when combined with specialized study in the major and other specific degree requirements, is designed to prepare students to better meet the demands of life in the 21st century. Through the baccalaureate core experience, every UAF student is expected to achieve:
- multidimensional competency in written and oral English -- including comprehension of complex materials and creation of clearly organized presentations of soundly reasoned thought in both oral and written form;
- a solid grasp of quantitative reasoning and mathematical application;
- an intellectual comfort with the sciences -- including the objectivity of the scientific method, the frameworks that have nurtured scientific thought, the traditions of human inquiry, and the impact of technology on the world's ecosystems;
- an appreciation of cultural diversity and its implications for individual and group values, aesthetics and social and political institutions;
- an understanding of our global economic interdependence, sense of historical consciousness and a more critical comprehension of literature and the arts;
- a better understanding of one's own values, other value systems and the relationship between value systems and life choices.
Through better integration of knowledge, it is expected that UAF graduates will more fully understand the changing world in which they will be expected to function. If you completed your bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution, you will be considered to have completed the equivalent of the baccalaureate core when you have been officially accepted to an undergraduate degree program at UAF.
Baccalaureate Core
Courses used to meet core requirements may not be used to meet any other requirements for a degree.
Requirements Credits
Communication (9 credits) (9 credits)
ENGL 111X -- Introduction to Academic Writing* (3 credits)
ENGL 211X -- Academic Writing about Literature
OR ENGL 213X -- Academic Writing about the Social and Natural Sciences (3 credits)
COMM 131X -- Fundamentals of Oral Communication: Group Context
OR COMM 141X -- Fundamentals of Oral Communication: Public Context (3 credits)
*ENGL 190H may be substituted.
Perspectives on the Human Condition (18 credits) (18 credits)
(Humanities and social sciences) (18 credits)
Complete the following six courses:
ANTH 100X/SOC 100X -- Individual, Society and Culture (3 credits)
ECON 100X or PS 100X -- Political Economy (3 credits)
HIST 100X -- Modern World History (3 credits)
ART/MUS/THR 200X -- Aesthetic Appreciation: Interrelationship of Art, Drama and Music
OR HUM 201X -- Unity in the Arts (3 credits)
ENGL/FL 200X -- World Literatures (3 credits)
COMM 300X -- Communicating Ethics OR
JUST 300X -- Ethics and Justice
OR NRM 303X -- Environmental Ethics and Actions
OR PS 300X -- Values and Choices
OR PHIL 322X -- Ethics (3 credits)
OR complete 12 credits from the above courses plus two semester-length courses in a single Alaska Native language or other non-English language or three semester-length courses (9 credits) in American Sign Language taken at the university level.
Mathematics (3 credits) (3 credits)
MATH 107X -- Functions of Calculus
OR MATH 131X -- Concepts
and Contemporary Applications of Mathematics 3
OR MATH 200X, 201X, 202X, 262X, 272X or any math course having one of these as a prerequisite
* MATH 161 is not an equivalent course to MATH 107X.
Natural Sciences (8 credits) (8 credits)
Complete two 4-credit courses, with labs, from approved natural science core courses with depth or breadth emphasis. Both courses must be from the same emphasis area, that is, either breadth or depth.
Breadth emphasis
The two courses must be in different natural sciences or must be interdisciplinary in nature.
Select two courses from the following:
ATM 101X -- Weather and Climate of Alaska (4 credits)
BIOL 100X -- Human Biology (4)
or BIOL 103X -- Biology and Society (4)
or BIOL 104X -- Natural History (4) (4 credits)
CHEM 100X -- Chemistry and the Modern World (4 credits)
GEOG 205X -- Physical Geography (4 credits)
GEOS 100X -- Introduction to Earth Science
OR GEOS 125X -- Humans, Earth and Environment
OR GEOS 120X -- Glaciers, Earthquakes, Volcanoes (4 credits)
MSL 111X -- The Oceans (4 credits)
PHYS 102X -- Energy and Society
OR PHYS 175X -- Astronomy (4 credits)
Depth emphasis
The two courses must be sequential courses or a two-semester survey in the basic natural sciences (biology, chemistry, earth science, physics). Select one sequence from the following:
BIOL 105X-106X -- Fundamentals of Biology I and II (8 credits)
BIOL 211X-212X -- Human Anatomy & Physiology I and II (8 credits)
CHEM 103X-104X -- Basic General Chemistry -- Beginnings in Biochemistry (8 credits)
CHEM 105X-106X -- General Chemistry (8 credits)
GEOS 101X -- The Dynamic Earth
and GEOS 112X -- History of Earth and Life (8 credits)
PHYS 103X-104X -- College Physics (8 credits)
PHYS 211X-212X -- General Physics (8 credits)
PHYS 211X-213X -- General Physics/Elementary Modern Physics (8 credits)
PHYS 212X-213X -- General Physics/Elementary Modern Physics (8 credits)
Library and Information Research (0 - 1 credit) 0 - 1
Successful completion of library skills competency test or LS 100X or 101X prior to junior standing 0 - 1
Two writing intensive courses designated (W) and one oral communication intensive course designated (O) or two oral communication intensive courses designated (O/2), at the upper-division level (see degree and/or major requirements) 0 additional
Total Credits Required 38 - 39
Bachelor of Arts
Requirements Credits
Complete the baccalaureate core 38 - 39
Complete the following B.A. requirements in addition to the core:
Humanities and social sciences (18 credits)
Any combination of courses at the 100-level or above, with a minimum of 6 credits from the humanities and a minimum of 6 credits in the social sciences OR up to 12 credits in a single non-English language taken at the university level and a minimum of 6 credits in social science
Mathematics (3 credits)
One course at the 100 level or above in mathematical sciences (math, computer science, statistics)
Minor complex* at least 15
OR
Foreign/Alaska Native language option 12 - 18
Two years study of one foreign or Alaska Native language at the university level (high school language credits or native language proficiency may allow students to begin at the intermediate or advanced level)
Major complex* at least 30
Electives 12 - 19
Minimum credits required for degree 120*
Of the above, at least 39 credits must be taken in upper division (300-level or higher) courses. Courses beyond 30 credits in a major complex and 15 credits in a minor complex that are not in the primary discipline of that major or minor may be used to fulfill the B.A. degree requirements in humanities, social sciences or mathematics. Courses used to fulfill minor degree requirements may be used at the same time to fill major or general distribution requirements if so designated.
* Departmental requirements for majors and minors may exceed the minimums indicated. Specific requirements are listed in the Degrees and Programs section.
Majors Available for B.A. Degree
Alaska Native Studies, Anthropology, Art, Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Communication, Earth Sciences, Economics, English, Eskimo, Foreign Language, Geography, History, Interdisciplinary Studies, Japanese Studies, Journalism, Justice, Linguistics, Mathematics, Music, Northern Studies, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science, Psychology, Rural Development, Russian Studies, Social Work, Sociology and Theater. (Requirements of majors are listed in the Degrees and Programs section of this catalog.)
Minors Available for B.A. Degree
Accounting, Alaska Native Languages, Alaska Native Studies, Anthropology, Applied Accounting, Applied Business, Arctic Skills, Art, Asian Studies, Aviation Technology, Biochemistry, Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Communication, Computer Information Systems, Computer Science, Early Childhood Education, Economics, Emergency Services, English, Eskimo, Film Studies, Foreign Languages, French, General Business, General Education, Geography, Geology, German, History, Human Service Technology, Japanese, Journalism, Justice, Law and Society, Linguistics, Management and Organizations, Marketing, Mathematics, Military Science, Music, Natural Resources Management, Northern Studies, Paralegal Studies, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science, Psychology, Rural Development, Russian, Russian Studies, Social Work, Sociology, Spanish, Statistics, Theater, Wildlife Biology and Women's Studies.
An Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree earned at any regionaly accredited college or university may be used to meet requirements for a minor for the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree.
The following UAF associate degree programs are available as minors for the B.A. degree: Applied Accounting, Applied Business, Apprenticeship Technology, Aviation Technology, Community Health, Culinary Arts, Early Childhood Education, Emergency Services, Human Services Technology, Interdisciplinary, Maintenance Technology, Medical Assistant, Microcomputer Support Specialist, Native Language Education, Office Management and Technology, Paralegal Studies, and Renewable Resources.
If you're a Bachelor of Arts degree candidate, you may complete two majors rather than a major and a minor. You can select the majors from those approved for the Bachelor of Arts degree; you must complete all general university requirements and all major requirements for both majors. If one major is from a program that requires 120 total credits and the other major is from a program that requires 130 credits, you must complete 130 credits. You must declare both majors when you're admitted and/or through the change of major procedure. You'll need to follow the degree requirements in a single catalog for both majors.
Bachelor of Science
Requirements Credits
Complete the baccalaureate core 38 - 39
Complete the following B.S. requirements in addition to the core:
Natural sciences (8 credits)
A one-year sequence in one natural science beyond the core. The total natural science courses used to satisfy this requirement as well as the core requirement shall represent at least two different natural sciences.
Mathematics (3 credits)
The Baccalaureate Core shall include a calculus course of at least 3 credits. In addition, a 3-credit course in mathematics, computer science or statistics is required.
Major complex* at least 30
Minor complex (optional)* 15 or more
Electives 25 - 40
Minimum credits required for degree 120*
Of the above, at least 39 credits must be taken in upper division (300 level or higher) courses. Courses beyond 30 credits in a major complex and 15 credits in a minor complex that are not in the primary discipline of that major or minor may be used to fulfill the B.S. degree requirements in mathematics or natural science. Courses used to fulfill minor degree requirements may be used at the same time to fill major or general distribution requirements if so designated.
* Departmental requirements for majors and minors may exceed the minimums indicated, and most B.S. degree programs require 130 credits. Specific requirements are listed in the Degrees and Programs section of the catalog.
Majors Available for B.S. Degree
Anthropology, Applied Physics, Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Fisheries, General Science, Geography, Geological Engineering, Geology, Interdisciplinary Studies, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Mining Engineering, Natural Resources Management, Petroleum Engineering, Physics, Psychology, Sociology, Statistics, Wildlife Biology. (Requirements of majors are listed in the Degrees and Programs section of this catalog.)
Double Major
As a Bachelor of Science degree candidate, you may complete a double major instead of a single major. Your majors must be selected from those approved for the Bachelor of Science degree. You'll need to complete all general requirements plus all requirements for both majors. If you're completing a double major, you need to officially declare both majors either when you're admitted and/or through the change of major procedure. You'll need to follow the degree requirements in a single catalog for both majors.
You may elect to complete a minor with the B.S. degree under the following circumstances:
- You must declare your minor before the beginning of your final semester in the B.S. degree program. You need to complete a Declaration of Minor form and file it with the Registrar's Office by the end of registration.
- Any minor approved for the B.A. degree may serve as a minor for the B.S. degree. All general and specific requirements for minors are the same as those listed for B.A. degree minors, including that courses used to meet minor requirements may not be used to meet major or general distribution requirements unless so designated. The catalog used for the minor must be the same as the catalog used for the major and general degree requirements.
- You must satisfactorily complete the requirements for the minor before your B.S. degree will be awarded. The minor will be listed on your transcript along with the B.S. degree.
Bachelor of Arts and Sciences
See Arts and Sciences in Degrees and Programs section. A minor is required.
Bachelor of Business Administration
All majors must earn a C grade or better in all Common Body of Knowledge courses, department-specific general requirements, major specific requirements, and specific math and statistics requirements.
Requirements Credits
Complete the baccalaureate core 38 - 39
(A core Ethics class must be included in the courses used to meet the Perspectives on the Human Condition requirement for accounting and business administration majors.)
Complete the following B.B.A. requirements in addition to the core:
Mathematics
MATH 161 -- Algebra for Business and Economics 3
(MATH 262X should be taken to complete the mathematics requirement for the core.)
Social Sciences and Statistics (10 credits)
STAT 200 -- Elementary Probability and Statistics (3 credits)
ECON 200 -- Principles of Economics (4 credits)
ECON 227 -- Intermediate Statistics for Economics and Business (3 credits)
Common Body of Knowledge (31 - 34 credits)
AIS 101 -- Effective Personal Computer Use OR demonstrated computer literacy 0 - 3
ACCT 161 - 262 -- Accounting Concepts and Uses (6 credits)
AIS 310 -- Introduction to Information Systems (3)
or AIS 316 -- Accounting Information Systems (3) (3 credits)
BA 325 -- Financial Management (3 credits)
BA 330 -- Legal Environment of Business (4 credits)
BA 343 -- Principles of Marketing (3 credits)
BA 360 -- Operations Management (3 credits)
BA 390 -- Organization Theory and Behavior (3 credits)
BA 462 -- Corporate Strategy (3 credits)
ECON 324 -- Intermediate Macroeconomics (3)
or ECON 350 -- Money and Banking (3) (3 credits)
Major complex* at least 27
Minor complex (optional) ** at least 15
Electives 11 or more
Minimum credits required for degree (123 credits)
Of the above, at least 39 credits must be taken in upper division (300 level or higher) courses.
* Departmental requirements for majors may exceed the minimums indicated. Specific requirements are listed in the Degrees and Programs section of the catalog.
** Requirements for minors may exceed 15 credits. Specific requirements are listed in the Degrees and Programs section of the catalog.
Majors Available for B.B.A. Degree
Accounting, Business Administration (Management and Organizations, Marketing), Economics. (Requirements of majors are listed in the Degrees and Programs section of this catalog.)
Bachelor of Education
See Education in Degrees and Programs section.
Bachelor of Fine Arts
B.F.A. general requirements are the same as the requirements for the B.A. degree except a minor is not required for the B.F.A.
Major Available for B.F.A. Degree
Art.
Bachelor of Music
See Music in Degrees and Programs section.
Bachelor of Technology
See Technology in Degrees and Program section.